Floating High In The Skye
by ForgottenFallacy
Summary: Will she give a certain silver-haired thief a chance? Or will Rock take her heart away? And what is causing her to faint? SkyexJillxRock. Flames are welcome.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer- I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters.

Horray for my first story in a long time!

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_Prologue_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I opened my amethyst eyes to the early morning light filtering through my window. A beautiful shade of indigo made my small, dull house actually look sort of pretty. A good omen for the day. Another day as a farmer. I groggily rolled out of bed, getting dressed and glancing at my calendar. Spring 10. Today was also my birthday. Seventeen... it seemed like time had just been dropped into a river, following its steady, smooth current downstream.

As I walked outdoors, I breathed in the crisp, yet sweet scent of morning air. I started to water all of my crops, thinking to myself. I had only started out as a farmer a few days ago on the second, but I already had about half of my field covered in crops like turnips and strawberries. "Things are looking good." I said to myself. Let it be known that I talk to myself a lot.

It was about three by the time I had finished watering. I fed my four chickens, wiping sweat from my brow as I walked back outside. It was a good time to go visit my friends. I ran off towards the beach, where Rock always liked to be. I had known him a few days before I moved here, after my father died and my mother told me she thought it was best if I started a life on my own...

I shook off the memories, barely realizing that I was already at the beach. Since when did I get here? I blinked. I have got to stop spacing out while walking. Rock waved to me from near the empty stand.

"Hey, Mana!" He called. I smiled and walked over to him. He was always so nice to me. We talked for about an hour, and then I left to go see Lumina. She was a few years younger than me, but she was still nice. Usually I would think that rich people would be snobby. Stereotype, I know. She seemed worried, though, when I came to her house. Her fingers weren't gliding over the piano keys in a graceful way. They were fumbling and she seemed to be distracted by something, but still brightened up when I came in.

"Oh, Mana! You came at a good time." Lumina murmured.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you see, my birthday is on the 29. And my grandmother wants to make a cake for me, but she wants only the finest eggs. And I know you have chickens and that you're the best farmer around, I was wondering if you would be willing to give her a few eggs? She will pay you for it."

"Sure. I'll come by tomorrow with some." I smiled and walked out of the door. So tomorrow I had to drop off some eggs. Boring job, right? Boy, was I wrong.

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Yeah, I know the prologue isn't that good, but it gets more exciting, I promise. Next chapter Skye comes in! Squee! See ya peoples later!


	2. Moonlit Meeting

Yay for the first chapter! Again, I don't own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 1_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I woke up the next morning with a jolt. Strange. Did I have a nightmare and forget it? I shook my head. Something was bugging me. But what? I got ready for the day and went outside.

After all of my chores were finished and I had talked to Rock at the beach, I started to walk back to my house groggily. Why did I feel so tired today...? My feet seemed to get heavier with each step. I had reached the door to my house. Everything went black after that. Completely black.

I opened my eyes again. It seemed to be nighttime now. I stared at the stars for a brief moment. They seemed to form a face. Or maybe that was just my imagination. "What happened?" I asked myself, getting up off of the grass. I had passed out... in front of my house? I blinked a few times, glanced at my watch, and gasped. It was ten. I was supposed to have given Lumina the eggs today. "Oh no!" I yelled, running inside and grabbing a small basket. I put a few eggs into the basket and raced off towards Lumina's house.

I panted as I leaned against the fountain. I hope she wouldn't be too mad for coming so late at night. A sound of a door opening and closing echoed behind me, but I paid it no mind. It was probably Lumina. I grabbed the basket again and was about to walk around the fountain. But someone ran into me. I stumbled backwards, immediately mad at whoever it was, for they almost crushed my eggs. "Watch it!" I yelled, not caring whom it was. I looked up to glare daggers at the person, when my amythest eyes widened. I froze. A silver haired boy stood before me, his blue-green eyes locked on the door. He finally glanced over at me, his eyes widening also. We stared at each other for a moment.

"Hehe. Hello beautiful. Walking alone at night?" He asked, a sparkle of flirtatiousness in his eyes. I could already tell he spelled trouble.

"Who are you? You're not one who likes to watch where they're going, huh?" I muttered.

He twitched slightly, but maintained his cool. "Hehe. I'm quite the ladies' man and a prince of the stars." Oh man. He's a real pervert.

"Cut the crap. Why are you here? I've never seen you around the valley before." I turned in surprise as Lumina burst out of her house.

"Stop, thief! I know you stole my necklace!" She yelled. I looked over at the man in surprise. Oh, so now he's a perverted thief? He said nothing, but glanced over to me like Lumina wasn't even there. "Call me Phantom Skye. I have a feeling we'll meet again. It's in the stars." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. Right. Whatever star man." I stepped towards the large stone steps that led back down into the valley, trying to block him from escaping. "Give her back her necklace." I demanded. Yes, because a thief will just give up what he just stole without a fight. Right.

"A simple necklace shouldn't mean much to you. Not when you're an already beautiful maiden. I am pretty sure that the necklace is dull compared to your stunning appearance." Skye had turned to Lumina. She immediately turned red, holding her head in her hands slightly. She giggled like a little girl and blushed even more.

"Phantom Skye... I'm really that pretty?" She asked. I rolled my eyes again. Oh brother. Skye nodded, turning to leave, but stopped short when he saw me. "Excuse me, beautiful, I should leave now." He tried to walk around me, but I stepped in front of him again. He frowned and tried to walk the other way. I stepped in front of him again. "You know, you have such beautiful amythest eyes." He murmured. Trying to get me to fall under your spell? Not working, pretty boy. He suddenly stepped closer to me, our faces only inches apart. "But your eyes are even more stunning up close." I blushed slightly. Crap, why am I blushing? He stroked my cheek lightly; I felt my blush deepen. Dammit. "And your skin is so soft...Please, tell me your name, beautiful."

"Mana." I muttered. Damn. Why did I tell him that?

"Mana." He smiled. "What a beautiful name for a beautiful maiden." He stroked my cheek again. I bit my lip slightly. I liked the way my name sounded when he said it. I hated to admit it, but his voice made it sound a lot better of a name. I twitched when I saw him start to inch to the left a little. So he was trying to escape, huh? I tried to move left as well, but I was frozen. I glared at him as he slowly inched away and left.

"Hey! Wait for me Phantom Skye!" Lumina called, still blushing.

Oh no you don't, thief. I snapped out of my frozen state, running after him at full speed. He seemed to be walking away at a normal pace. Perfect chance for me to catch up. He won't see this coming. I threw myself at him, tackling him to the ground. I wrestled with him for a minute before I had him pinned on the ground. "Hey, how's it going? I'm just going to take back that necklace you stole..." I murmured, holding his hands over his head while I reached down into one of his pockets. My hands felt a small beaded item, and as I pulled it out, I smirked. It was just the item I had been looking for. I stuffed it into my own pocket, then looked down at him. Skye hadn't even struggled; he must be in shock or something. That's a good sign for me. "Well, I'll just be going-" I stopped short as he took my arms and made me roll over to where he was on top now. He pinned my arms to the ground. I struggled. "Hey! Let me go!" I yelled. He smirked, the flirt back in his eyes.

"Well, well..." He inched his face closer to mine. I blushed. "What have we here? A beautiful maiden trying to steal from a thief? Tsk, tsk. A naughty girl, aren't you, Mana?" I blushed even more. "But such a nice girl for trying to help her friend." I forgot to struggle as he completely let go of my arms. I couldn't move at all. I was frozen.

He searched my pocket where I had stuck the necklace in. He found it, but his hand lingered for a few more seconds in my pocket before he pulled it out. "I'll be going now, my fair maiden. Thank you for your time." He started to let go of my arms, but grabbed hold of his wrists. Bad idea. He smirked. "But I can stay longer if you want me to."

I tried to grab the necklace that was in his hand, but he kept it out of reach, stuffing it into his pocket yet again and holding my hands in his after. I blushed again. We started into each other's eyes for quite a while, our faces only a few inches apart. Silence. Nothing but the sounds of the night and our breathing could be heard. It was strange. Very strange. I was lying on the ground with a thief on top of me in the middle of the night. Woah. That sounded wrong.

But two could play the seducing game. "You know, you are really handsome for a thief, Skye." I purred, hoping I had a twinkle of flirtatiousness in my eyes like he usually had. His hands let go of mine, his sea green eyes showing a small hint of surprise. Perfect. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him to me. Even more surprise flashed in his eyes. He didn't seem to lose his cool, though.

Skye smiled, moving down a little to kiss my throat. I felt my heart speed up. I knew he could sense my nervousness. At least he didn't know what I was worried about. I was afraid that I had turned him on or something and that he would rape me before I got the necklace back.

"Mana," Skye whispered in my ear sweetly. My breath caught in my throat. Crap. Here it comes...

"I am not tricked so easily." He finished harshly before standing up and disappearing into the night. By the time I sat up, he was gone. Something told me that I'd see him again soon. And that same something said that I would be stuck in yet another situation like this one.

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Hehe, I liked typing that chapter. :D Anyway, flames are welcome. It's actually a goal of mine to get at least twenty flames for this story. So flame! Or review. Or just read the next chapter when I post it. Or don't read it. Whatever. Peace out!


	3. The Blue Bar Bandit

A thank you goes out to everyone who has reviewed or added this story to their favorites! Thank you!

Again, I do not own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 2_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

Every night Skye haunted my dreams. And every morning I cursed myself for thinking of him. Damn. Why was I always dreaming, every night, of him? I had only met him once.

But you shivered when he touched you. A voice in my head sounded. True, but-

And you blushed. A lot.

Well, yeah, but-

And you love his eyes.

"That's it, shut up, voices in my head!" I smacked myself. The voices stopped. I sighed out of relief, frowned, then smacked myself for smacking myself. I sighed. This fight with myself was getting me nowhere. I gasped as I remembered. I had been talking to Rock a few moments ago. I glanced over to him nervously. He looked pretty weirded out. Great. That's one more person who thinks I'm crazy.

"Eh...ehehe..." I backed away a few steps and ran off. Maybe I could talk to Muffy. She always had tons of gossip ready. Just something to distract me. I ran to the Blue Bar, opening the door to see Griffin and Muffy with a worried expression on their faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked, closing the door.

"We just received a note from some thief named Phantom Skye." My blood turned to ice. Skye?

He is coming tonight around 10 to 12." Muffy continued. I smiled. He made it easy to know when he'd come. We could be ready.

"This is my chance," I muttered to myself. "my chance to catch him! Aha! No longer will he haunt my dreams, when he is behind bars! I...aim...for...VICTORY!!" I shouted, punching the air triumphantly. Muffy and Griffin just stared at me. "Uh... I'll be back at ten." I muttered quickly, running out of the bar. That's two more people who think I'm insane. Maybe I should keep a tally?

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~Later that night...~

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I breathed in the late spring air as I walked to the Blue Bar. Today was the day I'd catch Skye. As I entered, I saw Muffy and Griffin standing near the counter.

"Hey, Mana," Muffy greeted me. I nodded a greeting in return. A few minutes passed. Skye still didn't appear. Maybe he forgot?

A strong scent of curry drifted around the bar.

"Mmm...curry?" Muffy sniffed the air.

"I wonder where that is coming from... Mana, stay here. Muffy and I will go check it out." Griffin murmured. I nodded nervously as they left. A few seconds seemed to have passed before the door opened again. My heart stopped. Skye.

He seemed surprised to see me. Good. "Heh. Hello, Mana. So we meet again. It must be fate." Skye smiled at me. I smiled back.

"Is it fate? Or is it just you sending notes making your appearance obvious, and me agreeing to help catch you?" I asked. His face darkened.

"Heh. I don't have much time to stay with you. Could you stand still for a moment?"

"No way. You're going to jail today, Skye." I glared at him. Hurt filled his eyes. The hurt that I saw almost broke my heart right then and there.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. Well," He clenched his fist. It started glowing. Should I run? I didn't know. He extended his fist towards me, opening his hand and yelling, "CHICK BEAM... FIRE!" as a misty light shot towards me, wrapping around my body and disappearing.

I tried to walk over to him. But I couldn't move. "Wha-?"

"You'll be able to move in a little while." He strode up to me, his face dangerously close to mine. "Now I have a lovely maiden, frozen in front of me, not able to do anything but move her head." He whispered quietly. Again, that sounded wrong. He stroked my cheek. Chills went down my already frozen body.

He walked out of my range of sight, probably behind the counter.

"Why are you a thief, Skye?" I blurted out. Why did I just ask that?

"Hehe. I'm not sure." He replied. Silence enveloped us again.

"Do you steal just for fun?" I asked again. "Or do you do it just to stay alive?" I just wanted to fill in the awkward silence. But after I had asked, I actually was curious.

"You want to know more about me, don't you?" He set down a bottle on the counter and all of a sudden he was behind me, his breath scattering strands of my hair.

"I gulped, nodding slowly. He hugged me again.

"I'm glad that such a beauty of the harvest is interested in me." Skye picked up the bottle he had set on the table as he heard Muffy and Griffin talking outside. "I will see you later, Mana." He called to me as he walked out the door. Soon after, I gained movement and fell to my knees ag Muffy and Griffin came in. I stared questioningly at Griffin. He had leaves in his ruffled hair and curry spilt all over the front of his shirt.

"There was a plate of curry on a tree branch by the river," Muffy explained. "Griffin tried to climb the tree, but fell down and the plate of curry came with him." I laughed slightly. "We didn't see the Phantom, though."

"I did." I muttered. Both of them looked shocked. "I...er, heard something near the well outside.I walked out to go check it out, but as I turned around I saw him walk out of the bar and disappear." I didn't like to lie, but it was better than saying that he pretty much stole something right in front of my face.

"She's right. The Okuhattan is gone." Muffy called from behind the counter.

"Well, thank you for your help anyway, Mana." Griffin said to me. I nodded, walking out of the door.

As I walked back to my house, I wondered. This feeling that was in my heart whenever Skye was near... could it be...?

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Hehehe, I wonder what she's feeling? Maybe in the next chapter you'll find out!


	4. An Angel in the Moonlight

Don't own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 3_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I sighed, wiping sweat off of my forehead. This mid-summer heat was killing me. Summer never really was my favorite season in the first place. I continued to work, trying to concentrate on my work only, but more importantly, trying to not think about a certain thief. It was about six p.m. by the time I had finished all of my chores. I talked to Rock for a while; just to get my mind off of everything. He really did clear my mind whenever I talked to him. It was nice to know I had a good friend like him. I waved goodbye to him, then started running to the excavation site to dig. My feet grew a thousand pounds heavier as I walked. I knew this feeling. It was the feeling I had gotten in spring, when I had-

I fainted at the crossroads before I had finished thinking.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. It was nighttime now, and the stars above me were twinkling and bright. A cool, clear night. My surroundings were bathed in the moonlight that radiated from the beautiful full moon. The moon's light and the silence of the night just made everything seem so peaceful and serene. I frowned, as I had expected to see Vesta's farm or something when I scanned my surroundings again. But... I was at Goddess Pond. I looked over to the right of me, seeing Skye sitting on the ground. I gasped.

He looked over at me. "Oh, you're awake. I'm glad." He smiled. That sparkling smile and his beautiful sea green eyes were dazzling enough. But the way he was bathed in the moonlight made him seem like an otherworldly beauty. "You were passed out on the ground at the crossroads, so I carried you here." He paused, then added, "You're really cute when you sleep, Mana."

I blushed, then panicked as I opened my rucksack. "Did you steal anything?" I touched my stomach. "Was I heavy?" I touched my lips and glanced over at him. "Did you give me mouth-to-mouth necessitation?!"

Skye chuckled. "You were passed out on the ground, not drowning."

"Ri-ight...I-I knew that. I was just testing you! Yeah. You passed. Ya got one hundred percent!" I blushed. He laughed. Well, he could have if he had wanted to. I wouldn't have been able to retort. Except it wouldn't be much of a necessity, more of his desire to.

"So..." He scooted closer to me. "Did you want me to?"

"No thanks." I murmured quickly. I knew what he was talking about. Oh no. No way would a thief steal my first kiss away. Wow... seventeen and I have never been kissed? Eh, it happens. He pushed me gently onto the ground, laying on top of me. I didn't throw him off of me or anything. I didn't know why, but I was frozen.

"Are you sure?" He whispered, inching his face closer to mine. I looked down at his lips. His irresistible lips. A sudden bolt of desire shot through me, sending shivers down my spine. My lips tingled a little. I started to forget that I didn't want a thief to kiss me.

"No. I'm not sure anymore." I closed my eyes and anticipated his kiss. I was lost. Part of me screamed at me. It told me that I shouldn't have said that and that I should throw him off of me and run home. But part of me said for me to stay, for he was the one for me. I felt him lean in closer. I didn't really have any time to decide which part of me to listen to.

He suddenly got off of me before I felt his lips touch mine. I opened my eyes in confusion. He was just staring at me, smiling.

"Hehe. I'm glad you want me to kiss you. But I, a thief, shouldn't steal your first kiss away."

"H-Hey! How did you know that I've never been kissed?" I blushed again, surprised. So what, is he a mind-reading pervert thief now?

"You just admitted it yourself." He chuckled. I scowled at him.

"But what if I..." I trailed off. What if I did? But then again, what if I didn't? I just didn't know anymore. It wasn't right... If I...

"Heh. It's getting late. Let me take you home." He picked me up in his arms and started to walk down the road.

"Skye, Hey!" I complained. "Put me down." He seemed to ignore me. Jerk. I stared at him for a while, and only one word could describe him right now. Angelic. I relaxed, snuggling into his arms. He smiled down at me.

He opened the door to my house, walking in and shutting my door. My cat ran over to us and rubbed up against Skye's leg. He laughed slightly, laying me gently onto my bed. I looked up at him questioningly. He seemed to be thinking about something, and then laid on my bed with me. I blushed as he wrapped his arms around me. I relaxed, closing my eyes and burying my face in his chest.

I knew I'd sleep well tonight with him there. I didn't know if I was glad to admit it or not. I didn't know anything anymore. What if I wanted Skye to be the first person to kiss me? But it wasn't right. He was a thief that needed to be captured. But at the same time, I would do nearly anything to make sure he wouldn't be caught. I knew one thing though. I couldn't deny it anymore, no matter how hard I tried. I... kind of liked him.

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Hehehe, she admitted it! But he doesn't know... and does he feel the same way? The next chapter might answer the question...


	5. The Sea of Truth

Hehe, the chapter we've all been waiting for! (well, maybe not, but...)

Don't own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 4_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I woke the next morning, happily snuggled in Skye's arms. His arms around me made me feel so safe. But something was wrong. I felt too well rested. I glanced at my watch. Crap! It was eight in the morning. I had overslept. Damn. I glanced up at Skye and gasped. He thought I looked cute when_ I_ slept? He was indescribably perfect. Strands of his long, silver hair fell lightly onto his face and slightly covered his closed eyes. His expression was peaceful; must be having a good dream. I laid there, gazing in awe at him before I remembered my chores. I gently pulled away from him and got out of bed. I felt a little weird about changing into different clothes when he was there. Even though he was still asleep, I felt as if he was watching me or that he could wake up at any moment. Paranoid, I know. I sat down at the foot of the bed before I left to work and stared at Skye for a few moments, deep in thought.

"Well, time for work." I murmured, getting up. As I opened the door, I could've sworn that I heard Skye mumble my name in his sleep. I blushed as I walked out.

I didn't have much to do today, so I finished quite early. I walked back into my house to see if Skye was still there, but he seemed to have already left. I sighed. Well, there's not much to do except go to the dig site for a while. As I walked closer to the mines, I heard Flora and Carter talking outside of their tent. They both had worried expressions and Flora was holding a note. Oh no. I knew what was going on.

"Mana, you came at a good time." Flora sounded relieved.

"It's the thief, right?" I asked, already knowing that I should help. "What time is he coming?" Carter stared at me in surprise.

"H-How did you...?"

"I've heard of him before." And talked to him before. And nearly kissed him before. And slept with him before. But not like that though. I didn't dare say any of that out loud.

"Um, he's coming around ten to twelve tonight." Flora told me cautiously.

"Great. I'll be there."

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~Later that night...~

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I sat in Carter and Flora's tent, bored. I had already admired all of their artifacts that they had found and suffered through the painfully long stories that each of them had from Carter. I wondered how they lived in a tent like this. Cold sleeping bags on a hard floor didn't seem very cozy. Of course, it was what they preferred, and that was good enough.

"Where's the Phantom? Maybe he forgot the note he sent?" Flora questioned. It didn't seem very likely for him to forget. Even Flora seemed to not believe that either.

"Flora! Don't you see? He could be robbing the excavation site right now! Let's go!" Carter yelled, running out of the tent, shouting a few things like, "That dirty bastard thief." Flora ran out with him.

Alone. Alone and bored. Wonderful combination. I stared at nothing, thinking only of Skye. Someone walked into the tent. It was like my thoughts summoned him.

"Hehe. Hello, Mana." I glanced over at him.

"What are you here to steal now?" I asked bluntly, standing up.

"I didn't come here to steal anything." He murmured. I rolled my eyes.

"Please. Just freeze me, flirt, and take something like you did last time."

"I came here to see you." My breath caught in my throat as my eyes widened. W-What? He wanted... to see me? So he sent a fake note saying he'd steal something, but he really just came to see me because he knew I'd be here? That is so sweet...

I snapped out of my thoughts. "R-Really?"

He nodded, signaling for me to follow him. I uneasily walked out of the tent with him, stepping out into the cool night air. We walked in silence for a while. I wasn't looking at him, but I could tell Skye was staring at me. I blushed as I felt him slip his hand into mine.

We walked onto the beach and watched the waves of the sea. The sea was calm, the moon reflected on its rippling surface. It was so serene. We sat on the sand in silence for a while, hand in hand, just enjoying each other's company. He looked over at me.

"You know, I pride myself in making curry. I try again and again, but it still doesn't seem exactly right. What do you think it is that I'm missing?" How the hell should I know? I haven't cooked anything in a long time.

"Maybe you aren't cooking with love." I blurted out. What made me think of that? I blushed and stood up, looking away from him. I knew what... or who. Skye stood up next to me.

"Love, huh?" He whispered, his breath hot on my neck. Shivers went down my spine. "What made you think of that?"

I almost blurted out 'you' right then and there, but bit my lip to hold myself back. Aw, what am I doing? Hiding things doesn't help, and it only makes me blush even more. He'd figure it out later anyway. "Well, you did."

"Did I...?" He held my hand again, turning me around to look at him. My mind went blank as I stared at Skye in the moonlight. I swallowed hard. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me slightly closer to him. "So, are you saying that you love me?"

I blinked. Did I? I couldn't even answer that question myself. "I-I..." I stammered, trying to answer that question.

"I know what I'm saying. I'm saying, I love you, Mana." He leaned in slowly. Wait, didn't he say that he wouldn't be the first person to kiss me? It didn't feel right to kiss a thief. I shouldn't love him. Did I even love him? I-

All of my thoughts melted away as Skye's soft lips pressed against mine. I stood frozen for a moment, then wrapped my arms around his neck. My heart beat faster. I closed my eyes and parted my lips slightly, kissing him back. I wasn't sure of how I felt then. All I knew was that he liked me, and I had a chance. All I knew was, my first kiss was with a thief. And boy did it make me feel like I was floating. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed before he pulled away from me. I pouted for a moment, wishing that he hadn't pulled away, then thoughts came crashing back down onto me.

Part of me shouted at me for kissing him. He's a thief. It'll never work out. Part of me wanted him with me. The thoughts clashed in my mind more intensely than they had before. My mind whirled. "I-I have to go." I stammered, running back home. My head had already started throbbing by the time I had gotten back. Something was telling me that he wasn't right for me. But I knew that he was. So what possessed me to believe that I shouldn't be with him after all?

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Oh noez! She all of a sudden doesn't feel like she likes him? Maybe the next chapter will tell us why...

(yes, I know I did a crappy job at describing the kiss. But what do you expect from someone who's typing at two in the morning? Can't think right...)


	6. Trapped In An Unwanted Kiss

Chapter 5 is finally up! This is a very interesting chapter...

Again, I do not own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 5_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

It was about ten p.m. before I had finished all of my chores for the day. And boy, was I ever exhausted. My muscles ached and all I wanted to do was just go to sleep. I didn't really know why it took so long for me to finish working, and right now, I didn't care. I grumbled to myself as I walked painfully to the inn. I hadn't seen Rock all day. Not to mention I had promised I'd meet him at the beach. Hopefully he wasn't too mad.

I entered the inn, looking around, not seeing him. He seemed to be already upstairs in his room. Hopefully he wasn't asleep already. I quietly walked up the stairs, walking over to his bedroom door and knocking on the door. A few moments later he opened his door. "Hey, Mana!" His expression brightened, gesturing for me to come in. I walked into his room and he closed the door behind me.

"Sorry that I didn't come to the beach today. I was really busy, and-"

"It's fine. No need to apologize. Although if you really want things to be okay, then give me a kiss and we'll be even, okay?" I laughed slightly. He always joked about the weirdest of things. I glanced up at him. _Oh boy_. His face was dead serious. He wasn't joking.

"I know you like me, Mana, so how hard is it to spare just _one_ kiss for me?" I shook my head, backing up as he took a step towards me.

"I-I don't want to. Please, Rock..." I backed up even more, my back painfully running into a dresser behind me. The truth is, I didn't want anyone else _besides_ Skye to kiss me. But I couldn't tell Rock that I liked a thief.

"Mana, come _on_...just one kiss?" He took another step towards me.

"N-No, Rock." I stepped to the right a little. He did the same. I bit my lip, thinking. What should I do? I was trapped. I narrowed my eyes. I could run. I bolted around him, my hand flying for the doorknob, I started to twist it, but Rock grabbed my other hand and dragged me back into the middle of the room. "No!" I yelled.

He pushed me onto his bed. I gave a weak sound of pain as my head hit the wall slightly. I sat up, crawling to the edge of the bed, only to be caught by Rock who forced me back. I sat, backing as far as I could against the wall. Rock sat on my legs, grabbing my arms roughly in his hands. I struggled under his weight, but he had me trapped. I turned my head away from him. "Rock, _please..."_ I whispered. He came menacingly closer to me, shouldering my head back to where I faced him. My eyes widened in horror. He pressed his lips roughly against mine. I sat frozen. Just wait for it to be over, Mana. He'll stop soon enough.

But he didn't stop. The kiss became rougher. He pressed himself even closer to me. I did the only thing I could think of. I waited for just the right moment, then bit down hard on his tongue. He jerked back, yelling in pain. My chance! I struggled to get him off of me and succeeded. Yes! I climbed quickly to the edge of the bed and was about to start running until Rock caught my hand. I jerked at my arm, but to no avail. He held my hand tight.

"Let me go!" I yelled. He pushed me onto the floor. I tried to get up, but a small shining item in his hand made me freeze. A dagger was in his right hand, its blade pointed menacingly at me. I stared into Rock's eyes in horror, then felt something odd. Oh _no_. Not here. Not now. I felt heavier all of a sudden, my eyelids beginning to close. The last thing I heard was a small chuckle from Rock before I fainted.

* * *

I woke with a sudden start. Where was I? What the _heck_? I opened my eyes to see Rock's face in front of mine. Huh? His lips were pressed against mine. Then I remembered everything. How long was I passed out? I didn't know. All I knew was that Rock kept kissing me. He never seemed to stop. How was I going to get out of here? Kissing him back wouldn't work... or would it?

I started to kiss him back slightly. He immediately noticed this, letting out a small noise before kissing me even more. I glanced at my surroundings. I was still on the floor, but I was in a corner of the wall. Great. No possible way out.

I smirked as I realized. He wasn't holding my hands down anymore. I reached up, and with all of my might, I punched him in the side of the face. He was knocked to the side, and that's when I bolted for the door. I turned the doorknob and managed to run out of the inn before Rock tackled me to the ground. I hit the cobblestone path painfully, my breath knocked out of me.

He got off of me, trying to flip me over so he could kiss me again. _"Skye!"_ I yelled subconsciously before Rock's lips met mine again. I closed my eyes, frozen again. Why did I think that Skye was going to help me? He might me mad at me for not saying that I loved him back. He might be watching right now, enjoying my pain. Or maybe he would come, but take the whole situation the wrong way and think that I had called him just to kiss Rock in front of his face.

Something knocked Rock off of me. "Skye!" I yelled as I looked up at him. Thank goodness.

_"Never_ touch her _again."_ Skye's voice was scathing, and a little scary. It seemed Rock was knocked out, because he didn't reply. I stood up, running over to Skye and burying my face in his chest. "Are you okay?" He asked me gently, though I could still sense a trace of anger in his voice.

"Fine." I replied, my voice surprisingly shaky. Skye held me a little closer.

"That _bastard..."_ Skye gritted his teeth, and I could tell he was glaring at Rock.

"I'm fine. Really. He just... kissed me, is all." I murmured. Skye took my face in his hands, staring into my eyes.

"That's still horrible, in my eyes. How _dare_ he..." Skye trailed off again.

"I... guess I'll go home now." I murmured. Skye just nodded as I walked off. He seemed a bit awkward today. Was it because I still never said that I loved him back? I wanted to go back to him, but I knew that I needed sleep. My dreams were once again about Skye, but now Rock appeared in the dreams, holding the silver dagger. Something told me that I'd see that dagger again. Maybe it would be seen during the last moments of my life.

* * *

Ooh, this is getting very interesting, yes? Chapter six is next! Hehehe, I wonder what will happen next... (Seriously, I do. I do not know what to type next. My mind is blank at the moment. Epic fail!)


	7. The Thief Hidden By Mist

_Chapter six is finally up!_ Hehe, sorry for the late update people, I couldn't think of what to type...

Anyway... I know I haven't really been putting a lot of description into this story, so I'll try to make it better from now on.

And again, I don't own Harvest Moon.

_

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_

_Chapter 6_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I've been very careful to make sure that I didn't see Rock since that day when he kissed me. _Ugh..._ I didn't want to think about it, but I was having a hard time trying not to. How could he do such a thing? I thought he was my friend... one that didn't take advantage of me, that is. But what scared me even more than Rock was the dagger that he had that day. He could've killed me. He could've just shoved that shining bringer of death into my heart, watching as the life slowly drained out of me as my blood spilled onto the hard, wooden floor...

I shook my head vigorously. That had been one of my dreams last night. One of my many, 'what if this happened' kind of dreams. It freaked me out, knowing that it could've happened all along, and because it seemed so real. After the dream I would wake up screaming, scaring my poor cat half to death and making my dog bark for the rest of the night. Every night it was the same... I felt like I was just some movie that someone was watching over and over again. I would dream of Rock killing me and wake up screaming, then I would have to pet my cat until she calmed down, and finally I would have to put up with my dog barking all night. _Every single night..._

And I was tired of it. What was it going to take to stop this from happening again? It was like I was cursed, forever to go through the same thing over and over again.

But the nights weren't _nearly_ as bad as the days, _despite_ the nightmares. I would work, as usual, but I always seemed to see Rock at least _once_ every day. For a few days I would go to the beach, just to get away from work. Rock was always there. He would look over at me, smile, and beckon me over to him. All of the memories flashed before my eyes. I would shake my head. He would just stare at me soullessly with his cold eyes. It was like he was saying, 'You just _wait..._ I'll kill you soon.' I finally decided to not go to the beach, and instead go to Goddess Pond. While I walked there, every day, I sensed him behind me. I didn't want to turn around to look at him. I kept on walking, hearing his footsteps which just seemed to tell me that he was waiting for the right moment to kill me. At the pond he would just stare at me, smirking. It started to drive me insane, so I didn't go to the pond anymore, either. He seemed to be stalking me, watching my every movement, waiting...

I was about to break. I couldn't go anywhere without his gaze burning holes into me. I was pretty much confined to my ranch. But what if he started to come here too? I was going paranoid. When I was watering my crops I would glance nervously around every few seconds, expecting to see him behind me with the dagger. I was barely ever outside at night now. I hadn't seen Skye in a long time, which was tearing holes into my heart like a cheetah rips apart its prey.

I needed to talk to someone. I quickly walked to Vesta's farm, glancing around nervously every once in a while. I felt like he was coming for me. My pace quickened until I was running for Vesta's farm. They weren't outside yet. Probably inside their house still. I almost ran into the wooden door of the cozy-looking log house as I stopped to knock on the door. Someone called me in, and as I stepped in, I saw that they were all awake, looking at a piece of paper. Oh man, not again.

"Hey Mana. Um, we have a problem. There-"

"It's Phantom Skye and he's going to steal something around ten to twelve tonight, right?" I knew it was probably weird how I knew all of this. But when it's happened a lot of times, I got tired of hearing all of the unnecessary details.

"Um... yeah, but... oh, never mind. He's going to steal our crops, that no good thief!" Vesta started to rant, but Celia calmed her down.

"We need a plan." I murmured. That's why I haven't been able to catch him yet. I've never had a plan. How could I hope to catch the best thief in history when I didn't have a plan? "The fields are pretty big, so Celia and Marlin could watch the field behind the house. Vesta and I will watch the large field. We need an alarm for when one of us spots him, umm... how about we just scream 'thief?' If anyone yells that, then everyone needs to go to that location and try to corner him. We'll catch him. I know it." I smirked, then turned to leave. "I'll be back at ten."

* * *

Later that night...

* * *

I swallowed hard, my hand shaking violently as I reached for the doorknob. This would be the first time in a while that I would go outside in the middle of the night. What if Rock knows I'll be outside and is waiting for me? I slowly walked out of the door to my house, glancing around. Nothing but impenetrable darkness. And fog...

Fog that could be hiding a murderer. Fog that could hide the face of my murderer as I slowly slipped into eternal sleep. I dashed towards Vesta's farm, not daring to look behind me. I felt like my heart would burst out of my chest by the time I reached the field where Vesta was.

"There you are!" She called a greeting. I nodded back, to breathless to speak. The fog would also cover Skye. Great. I had two reasons to dislike fog right now. I tensed. What if Rock had been following me the whole time? What if he killed me in this fog? Vesta wouldn't notice. She wouldn't be able to see from this distance. I stood my ground, though. I had to be strong. I had to catch Skye.

"Mana," Someone said from behind me, a hand touching my shoulder. Oh no, it was Rock, I was sure of it!

"Ah! _Thief!"_ I yelled. So maybe Vesta and the others couldn't save me in time. At least they could maybe see Rock just in time before he runs off and maybe they could send him to jail. The person turned me around to look at them. I knew it was all over then. That dagger would pierce my heart any second now...

But no dagger came. I opened my eyes to see Skye, staring at me with curiosity. I almost started to cry out of relief. "Skye!" I yelled, hugging him. "Skye, _please _stop stealing things! I don't want to see you go to jail! One false move and that's it. I'll never see you ever again!"

He pushed me away from him gently. "Hehe. So you really do fear for my safety...Mana..." He stared into my eyes for a moment before looking away. "I'll be fine. Don't worry. Sorry, my beauty, but I have work to do now. Hopefully your screaming did not-"

"Hey!" I heard Vesta screech as she ran towards us.

Skye glanced over at her, but he didn't seem worried at all. "Don't you _dare_ touch my crops, you bastard!" She glared at him as she came closer.

Skye just shrugged, turning around to walk out of the fields, but stopped short. Surprise flashed in his eyes as he stared at who stood at the entrance of the fields. Celia and Marlin. Just in time, too.

"Think you can escape?" Marlin growled.

Skye stood there, smirking. Everyone edged closer to him, trying to block him from going anywhere. His hand started glowing. My eyes widened. Oh no. I knew what he was going to do. He raised his hand into the air, yelling, "CHICK BEAM...FIRE!" The light engulfed Vesta, Celia and me. Marlin just stared at us in shock.

"What... I... I can't _move_!" Vesta screamed, struggling, but only her head could move.

"Wha-What did you do to them?" Marlin stared at Celia in shock. She just shook her head.

"Heh. It's not my time to be caught." Skye murmured quietly, walking towards me. "I'll see you later, Mana." He smirked, touching my cheek before running off. Marlin stared after him.

I sighed. Great. Skye escaped yet again. No fair. He was cheating, using that freaking fancy magic of his. Hmph. I stood there, bored, until I could finally move.

"Ugh... we didn't catch him." Celia muttered.

"Hey." Vesta smiled. We all stared at her. Smiling. Hmm. Not something you do when you just got robbed. "He didn't take too many of our crops. And nobody got hurt either. That's all that matters. We'll work even harder tomorrow. It's a new day, right?"

Vesta..." Marlin smiled as well.

"Well, I'll be going home now." I waved goodbye to them, running home. Another failed attempt at catching the elusive Skye. But one question remained. Did I really want to see him behind bars? Could my heart take being separated from him like that?

* * *

Hehe, I wonder what we'll find out in the the next chapter...


	8. The Cursed Day of Repentance

_Chapter 7! Woot! _Hmm... I wonder what'll happen now, hehehe.

Don't own Harvest Moon, obviously that fact isn't going to change anytime soon.

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_Chapter 7_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I glanced around my fields, sighing. Winter was my favorite season, but there wasn't anything to do at all. No crops to water and harvest. Just the pure blanket of white. Snow fell steadily, harsh winds blowing many cold flakes into my face. This season was always so quiet, so mysterious... just a few of the things that I liked about winter. I sat down under my apple tree, swirling the snow on the ground with my fingers, a cold sensation shooting up my fingers.

I let my mind wander back into my memories. Winter also was the saddest season for me. Today was the anniversary. The anniversary... of my father's death. I could clearly picture that day seven years ago. I had been sitting under this very tree when father came up to me and told me why this tree was so special. He had planted it there when he married mom. The tree's growth symbolized their love. After telling me this... he left for work that day... and never came back.

I had stayed under that tree nearly all day until mother came to me, tears in her eyes. My father was a fisherman. My mother told me that something had hit his ship and caused it to sink. They didn't know what it was. All they knew was that dad was never found. I remember every day, I kept thinking that the tree would disappear since he was gone.

A few years passed and mother was still miserable. Every time she saw me, she started to cry. Eventually she told me why. I reminded her too much of father. I didn't like seeing her suffer. The memories were eating her alive from the inside out. I told her to leave. The memories would only torture her more every day. If she left, nothing would remind her of anything anymore. If she never saw me again, then nothing would remind her of dad.

I guess that's why I never try to use his old fishing rod. It brings back too many memories, and it also brings fear. What if the same thing happens to me? What if _I_ go fishing and never come back one day?

Eventually mom agreed to leave me here, while she went to start a new life somewhere else. I don't know where she is now. I guess that's why I feel so alone sometimes.

I let the freezing tears fall from my face into the snow. Always alone...Nobody there...Nobody has ever reached my heart since then. Except...

"Skye..." I whispered, my eyes widening. He was all of a sudden there, embracing me. I clutched him closer, looking into his eyes and gasping as he faded away. Just an illusion in the snowfall. The tears fell faster.

That was when I realized how much I wanted him to be there right now. Just someone there, so I wouldn't feel so alone.

"Who is this _Skye_, Mana?" A voice sounded from above me. I froze, stiffly turning around to look up into the tree. _Rock._ He jumped down out of the tree, sitting next to me. I scooted away slightly. _Not_ the kind of person I wanted to be here right now.

"A friend." I replied quietly. I gasped slightly as Rock wiped a few of my tears away.

"Mana..." He pulled me closer to him. I struggled, but then relaxed and cried into his chest. Rock's always been here for me. Always had been my friend... always made me feel like there was _someone_ here with me...

I looked up into his eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Rock. You'll always be my friend. You know that, right?"

He said nothing, but pulled me closer, touching his lips to mine. I flinched, but didn't resist. He seemed to be gentler than that day when he had kissed me before. It was a comforting feeling. He pulled away after a few seconds, holding me close. I looked up into the dull, light gray sky, wondering. Did I really like Skye as much as I did Rock? I had trouble answering myself at that moment.

After a while I went to Goddess Pond. The night sky was cloudy, but still brought the same cozy silence it always did. It seemed so empty without any stars though. No moon, either. Just an empty, black sky. I relaxed as I sat in the snow. There was no more snow falling at the moment, which made it feel a bit warmer outside.

A step behind me made me jump. I looked behind me to see Skye. Just the person I wanted to see. I smiled, and then frowned. Something was wrong. He didn't seem glad to see me at all today. Maybe he was disappointed because it was winter? I knew he didn't like the season at all. Especially the snow.

What I saw in his eyes explained everything. Betrayal. Sadness. And worst of all, tears. "Skye?" I asked, surprised. I stood up, walking towards him. "What's wrong?"

He backed away. "Don't come near me." I stopped in my tracks, astonished. He sounded so angry, so hurt... "Why, Mana...?" The tears were dangerously close to falling. "Why didn't you tell me that... that you _loved_ that _guy_?"

I blinked questioningly. It wasn't like Skye to lose his cool like this. Then realization flashed in my mind. Rock... "I-I _don't!"_

"Don't lie. Mana, I saw you and him under that tree."

"Y-You... How did you...?"

"You could've told me. I thought that you hated him since that day when he kissed you. Or was that just a charade? Something to cover up the truth? You could have told me. I would have given up on chasing after you. Or did you plan this? Did you want to make a thief like me suffer because I deserve it?"

"I-I...no…you..."

"You've succeeded in your mission then. _Congratulations._ Now, I must be going, Mana. _Goodbye."_ A single tear fell from his eyes as he turned to leave.

"No, wait!" I yelled, but he disappeared out of sight. Let me _explain!_ "Skye!" I yelled into the night, a faint echo coming back to me. _Alone...alone...all alone..._

He'll come back, right? I'll see him again, right? Something told me that wasn't going to happen. Did I have his heart, and just crush it before his eyes? It was just a moment of weakness that I had, and Rock took advantage of it. _Or was it...?_ I didn't know. All I knew was that I loved Skye. But he was never coming back. I'd never be forgiven. I'd never be allowed a chance to explain myself. I felt like this day was cursed. Two people I loved had been taken away from me. My father, and now Skye...

Maybe I could move away, like mom did. But what if Skye did come back? I couldn't take that chance. Would he still love me after this? I shook my head. Maybe Rock is who I'm supposed to be with. Or maybe Skye's stolen my heart. My thoughts started to confuse me after a while. What did I really want? Who was it that I really loved?

* * *

Aww, poor Mana. She's so confused. I wonder what's gunna happen next? Chapter eight will answer some questions...


	9. Decisions of the Heart

Finally, Chapter eight is here! So now to answer the question... Is Mana going to pick Skye or Rock? And will Skye ever come back?

I don't own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 8_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I had waited every day for Skye to come to the Valley again. All night I would wait at the entrance to the Forget-Me-Not Valley, hoping I would see him. But he never came. I couldn't take it anymore. I was losing my mind. I was losing my heart...

I gave up after a month. I had been losing too much sleep, and it was time to face the facts. He _wasn't_ coming back.

At least Rock was there for me. We started dating last month. It became a regular thing to see him every day. I started to miss Skye less and less, but there were a few things that never disappeared out of my head. I wouldn't let Rock kiss me, and I wouldn't say that I loved him. If I was about to say that or if Rock was about to kiss me, an image of Skye flashed in my head. The image made me avoid whatever situation it was somehow.

But other than that, I was fine. Until today, that is. It was fall now. I hadn't seen Skye since last winter, but I usually didn't think about that as much these days. The days when I would lie awake all night crying were over now. I wasn't too concerned anymore on where he was.

I walked into the inn, hoping to see Rock waiting for me. He was taking me on a picnic to the pond this afternoon. I smiled as I remembered what happened the last time he took me on a picnic. It was summer at that time, and we were eating on the beach. Rock started to lean over to kiss me, but that image of Skye flashed in my head. Without thinking, I had shoved a piece of watermelon into Rock's face. And so began the food fight. I had came home that day with pieces of watermelon in my hair, a bit of mustard and ketchup on my shirt, and I also had something in one of my socks. I think it was a small piece of bread.

I didn't see Rock, though. Maybe he wasn't ready to go yet. I did see Ruby though, and she looked very worried. My eyes lit up as I noticed a small piece of paper in her hand. _Skye..._

"Hey Ruby," I walked over to the counter. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, hi, Mana." Ruby looked up at me, still a worried expression on her face. "You see, it's..."

"So what time is he coming?" I asked, knowing that it was Skye. He was coming back. I could see him again.

"Huh?"

"Doesn't he always come the day he sends the note?"

"What are you talking about?"

At that point I was lost. "Then what-"

Ruby finally held out the paper to me. My eyes widened in shock and disappointment.

"You see, we're running a little short on money this season, and..."

_"Bills?!"_ I yelled. "It's only _bills?!"_ Aww, man. Just when I thought Skye was coming.

"What were you expecting?" Ruby glanced up at me.

"W-Well..." I stammered, trying to think of an excuse for my outburst. "Uh, so you're short on money? I can lend you some and you can pay me back whenever you can."

"Oh, Mana, I-"

"It's no trouble. Here." I dug into my pocket, pulling out a good amount of gold. I counted out how much there was, and then smiled. "I gave you a little extra too. You don't have to pay me back for that part. Well," I sighed, walking towards the door. "I guess I'll go then-"

"Wait, Mana. I have another problem. I hope I'm not asking too much, but there's a thief..." She pulled out another piece of paper. My eyes widened. Was it...? I walked over to the counter again and took the paper from her. It _was!_ It was Skye's handwriting!

_"Yeah!_ He's coming!" I yelled with joy, hopping up and down excitedly. I stopped abruptly, turning around to see Ruby's questioning face. "Uh, I'll be back at ten..." I put the note back on the counter and ran out of the inn. Sorry, Rock, but our picnic will have to wait. I had to get everything I needed to get done now, before Skye came.

I finished my farm work around eight. I sighed, looking over at the setting sun, feeling a thousand pounds heavier. _Oh, crap._ I fainted in the middle of my fields.

* * *

I woke with a start, glancing around. Wow, I haven't fainted in a long time. Ever since Skye disappeared... My heart sped up as I looked up at the sky. It seemed too dark. What time was it? I glanced at my watch, gasping. It was _eleven?!_ _Damn!_

I stood up, running full speed towards the inn. Man, how could I have fainted at this time? Of all the days, why did I have to when Skye was coming? I almost ran into the door as I opened it, panting as I glanced around. Nobody was in here. Where was Ruby?

"It's the thief! It's _Phantom Skye!"_ A voice called from outside.

Oh _no._ I was too late. He was going to be put in jail. I dashed outside, running in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, someone crashed into me full-speed. I hit the cobblestone path painfully. My breath got knocked out of me as the person I had ran into landed on top of me.

_"Ow..."_ I grumbled, rubbing my head. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming." I muttered to the person.

"Heh. It's okay, Mana." My eyes widened. _That voice..._ "Isn't this funny? This is how we were when we first met, pretty much, except this time it was by pure accident."

_"Skye!"_ I hugged him, tears coming to my eyes. "I've missed you. Where did you go?" He got off of me, standing up and offering a hand to me. I took it, hauling myself up.

"I didn't think that it mattered if I came here or not."

"Of course it does! Don't you see how much I've missed you?"

"Hehe, I'm glad you have. But shouldn't you be somewhere else right now? It's not good for a lovely maiden like yourself to be caught with a thief." He looked down at the ground for a moment, then smirked. "Or _is it...?"_ I stared at him questioningly.

"Uh, I don't think it would be- _hey!"_ I yelled as Skye lifted me into his arms. "What in the _world?"_

"How about I take a maiden hostage?" He smiled, running off.

"Wait, where are you going? _Put me down!"_ I struggled, but couldn't seem to get out of his arms. Maybe it was because I didn't want to, though. I couldn't tell.

"Hush. You don't want me to get caught, do you?" He set me down on the ground, glancing around to make sure nobody was there. I looked around. Where was I? It looked like we were near Turtle Pond.

"What was that all about?" I asked, standing up.

"Well, to put it simple, I stole you."

"Yes, I know that. I meant _why."_

He looked down at the ground, not saying anything.

"Well?" I asked, tapping my foot impatiently.

"You're the greatest treasure of all. I'm sure that your boyfriend won't be happy, but-"

"He's _not_ my boyfriend. Well, he _is,_ but... I just don't like it when people say it..." I looked down at the ground as well. "So I'm never going back home or something?"

"No, you are. Just as soon as I make a deal with the people of this place."

"What do you want?" Surely if I was supposedly the greatest treasure of all, he wouldn't give me up?

"A few treasures. But the main thing I want, is for your boyfriend to _never_ see you _again."_ I looked up at him, shocked.

"If those are the terms, then what's the point of giving me back anyway?" He glanced over at me, his sea green eyes filled with sadness. It was clear that he didn't want to give me back after all.

"I can't take you away from your home, Mana. It's selfish enough that I am taking away your happiness. But I cannot take you away from everything that you know."

"Skye..." I took a step towards him. "That's... really nice of you. Thank you."

He smiled. "In all of my days as a thief, I've never really thought that a beautiful maiden would call me nice."

"But...you know...you don't have to trade with them like that. If you don't want me to see Rock anymore, then just say so, and I won't. " I noticed Skye frown when I said Rock's name. "But..." I started to blush slightly. "You have to visit the valley _every day_ to come see me. So, those are the terms. Do you accept?"

Skye walked closer to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I think I can do that. Now then..." He picked me up in his arms again, running off.

A few moments later we were back near the crossroads. Skye set me down on the ground.

"I never saw you, alright?" I murmured. He looked at me, slightly surprised.

"You're really covering for a thief?" He smiled as I nodded. "Thank you, Mana."

"It's no trouble." We stood in an awkward silence for a few moments. Something started to bug me, though. "Erm, Skye..." I looked down at my feet, blushing. "That day at the beach... I never did say... I didn't know if I should say..."

Skye wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to him. I looked up into his sea-green eyes, my thoughts instantly arranging themselves. "I love you."

He smiled. "I love you, too." I leaned in towards him, our lips touching. I knew my feelings now. I knew who I was supposed to be with. Skye... _my_ Skye...

"Hey, is that the Phantom?" A voice wondered.

Skye pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mana." He smiled before disappearing into the night. I stared after him, my heart leaping with joy. I turned around to see Rock, Ruby, Nami, Vesta, Celia, and Marlin running towards me. Disappointment flashed in all of their eyes at the same time as they saw me.

"Oh, it's only Mana. Have you seen the Phantom?" Ruby asked.

"I think he went that way." I pointed towards Romana's mansion, which was the exact opposite of where Skye ran off to.

"Thanks, Mana!" Ruby called before running off with the others.

I sighed as I walked back home. They'll give up soon enough. I climbed into bed, exhausted. Today's been really great. Skye's back to visiting the Valley, I'm not dating Rock anymore; everything's perfect. I should tell Rock that I don't want to go out with him anymore tomorrow. I've got someone else that I love. All night, Skye filled my dreams. That's the way it should be. Dreaming of Skye. Dreaming of my love.

* * *

Aww, happiness! But this isn't over yet. Far from it. The trouble's just begun here.


	10. The Cursed Feather

_Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be posted! _And sorry this chapter is so short, but this is just the introduction into a new problem so there really isn't much to put in it. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise!

I don't own Harvest Moon.

* * *

_Chapter 9_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I grumbled something under my breath as I twirled an object between my fingers. How would I go about doing this, exactly? I knew he loved me, but this...

Yesterday I had bought an item from the supermarket. I hoped that luck would be on my side when I gave it to Skye. I was pretty sure it was going to be. But how to ask him...?

I twirled the object again, its sleek blue color shining brilliantly at me. The blue feather. The item that was part of an old tradition. The item that you were supposed to give as a gift when you propose. The item that could either bond Skye to me forever, or break every single tie we had created. It seemed simple in my head. Just ask him to marry you and give him the blue feather. But I knew it was much harder than that. How should I sound when I ask him? Would he even accept?

I knew that he would accept. But there was just a small part of me that said that he wouldn't. Probably just my negativity. But how could I _not_ be negative about this? I wasn't one hundred percent sure that he would say yes, so of course I had to be at least slightly negative so I could be sort of prepared if he refused.

But why would he refuse? I couldn't think of any reason, but still...

I jumped as my alarm clock sounded, high-pitched and annoying as usual. I had no clue that I had woken up before my alarm clock. I thought I had just slept through it. Again. As I started to get ready for yet another day, I sighed. Maybe I would get my head cleared before tonight, when I would hopefully be able to propose? I stuck the feather in a lock of my hair, as if it just being there while I did my work would make me less nervous. Maybe it would.

* * *

Later that night...

* * *

Worry clenched my stomach. Fog seemed to roll in on my brain. I barely felt my legs stiffly carrying me through the crisp, late autumn night. The stars seemed to shine as if they were cheering for me. I had a feeling that I would hate tonight. Somehow I would mess up, I just knew it. Something seemed to gnaw at my head ruthlessly, telling me I'm forgetting something. But I knew I wasn't. It was just nerves.

I sat down on the lush grass near the Goddess Pond and peered at my watch. It was almost near the time when Skye usually to come to the pond. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I tried to concentrate on how to say those words. I had spent an hour repeating the words over and over again in front of a mirror, trying to get the perfect tone and the perfect expression. Nothing really seemed to work.

The expression and the tone will come naturally, I hoped. But how to give him the feather...?

My heart stopped. The feather. I whipped my rucksack off of my back, digging into every pocket there was. It wasn't in any of them. I must have _dropped_ it somewhere! Of all the things to drop, I _had_ to drop the _one_ thing that I needed to propose with! I glanced around, scanning every inch of grass. I didn't see it anywhere. Damn. Where could I have dropped it?

A touch on my shoulder made me scream. I whirled around to see Skye's sea green eyes gazing curiously at me. "Are you alright, Mana? What's the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, I think I lost something." I immediately wished I hadn't said that. He would probably offer to help me and then I'd have to tell him what it was.

"Really? I will be glad to help, if you want. What-" His eyes traveled slowly from my amethyst eyes to something that seemed to be slightly to the left of me. I glanced behind me, but nothing was there. As I looked back at Skye, I noticed his eyes were filled with pain. What was he looking at? I leaned to the right a tiny bit. His gaze seemed to follow slightly. Was there something in my hair?

I reached up, touching my hair. My hand also touched a satiny object. My eyes widened in horror and dismay._ The blue feather._

_No!_ I screamed and cursed myself in my head. This_ is not_ how this is supposed to go! Even more fog seemed to cloud my brain. "T-This is-" I stammered, trying to explain. How could I propose to him now? Everything was going all wrong. Maybe I could still propose, but the words didn't want to come. "I...you..." My mind whirled as Skye seemed to realize something terrible. His soft, pale face was lined with agony and surprise, with a small hint of what seemed like denial. He didn't want to believe whatever he was thinking. I wanted to figure out what it was that he was thinking, but my head was too cloudy to think of possibilities.

I looked away from his burning gaze. _Stop it... _Stop looking at me with those eyes of sadness. I can't think straight. "I-I have to go." I grabbed my rucksack, stood up abruptly, and ran past him, one hand on the blue feather still in my hair. _Damn._ How did it stay in my hair, all of this time? I think I'd rather have lost it. I sighed slightly in relief, as I no longer felt Skye's gaze burning into my back. As I opened the door to my house, realization sunk in. I knew what he was thinking.

I dropped my rucksack near my bed and flopped down onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Skye had thought that Rock had given me the feather, and I had accepted. I just knew that was what he had been thinking. I had screwed everything up again. How would I fix this?

Everything had just been building up inside of me. I was at my breaking point. I took in a deep breath and buried my face into my pillow, screaming. How would this be fixed? How could I explain? How could I ever face Skye again...?

* * *

Poor Mana... I wonder how this'll turn out?

And again, I promise that the next chapter will be longer. Until then... keep waiting for the next chapter!


	11. Jump Ropes And a Note of Hope

_Yay for Chapter 10! And so continues the story. I wonder what will happen...?_

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_Chapter 10_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I awoke with tear stains on my cheek. Great. Just an early reminder of what happened last night. How's that for a wake up call? I didn't want to get out of bed at all, because I felt like I hadn't slept in days. You would've thought that I would be used to these kinds of things by now.

Somehow I managed to drag myself to my feet, grumbling as I felt slightly dizzy. Mornings always made me feel like the world was sideways. But events like last night made the world feel upside down. _Very_ topsy-turvy. Today was _not_ going to be good. I just had a feeling.

Throughout the whole day I worked emotionlessly, barely thinking about anything. Maybe that was a good thing. Then again, maybe it wasn't. After finishing my farm work, I was about to go to the excavation site when I spotted Lumina standing in front of the door to my house. She glanced over to me, waving.

"Hey, Mana!" She grinned cheerfully and beckoned me over to her. "I've been looking for you."

I walked over to her, blinking at her curiously. "What is it?"

Lumina frowned, planting her hands on her hips. "So I come all the way here just for a mean-sounding_ '_w_hat is it?'_ How rude." She smiled, a joking look in her eyes. "I haven't talked to you in a long time. Now that's not how best friends should be. So how about we go to the Goddess Pond today? You still have that jump rope, right?" She asked, holding up her own.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked, reaching back to pat my rucksack. "It's always in here just in case you want to challenge me." I smirked a little, then started walking towards the pond. "Well, let's go."

Lumina ran to catch up with me, then linked her arm with mine and started skipping, giggling while she did so. I smiled as I looked over at my carefree friend. For a moment I forgot why I had been so depressed the whole day and started to skip with her, a smile on my tan face. We soon started to sing _The Wizard of Oz_, still skipping arm-in-arm, laughing in between verses.

"Shouldn't we actually be singing, 'we're off to see the _goddess_?' That would make more sense since we're going to Goddess Pond." Lumina murmured as we neared the pond.

"That doesn't sound as catchy." I replied. "We're off to see the goddess, the wonderful goddess of harvest!" I sang, laughing a little. "See? It isn't as good. But it does sound pretty cool."

"Because, because, because, because, _because!_ Because of the wonderful things she does!" Lumina finished the song. We both burst out into laughter as we plopped down in the soft grass near the pond.

"Alright, ready to get beaten? Whoever keeps jumping the longest wins!" I dug into my rucksack, pulling out my green jump rope.

Lumina held up her jump rope triumphantly. We both stood, holding the handles of the ropes. "Okay, are you ready?" She asked, grinning. "Ready..."

"Set..." I held the handles tightly in my hand.

"GO!" We yelled at the same time, starting to jump at a fairly fast, but rhythmic pace.

I glanced down at my watch every once in a while as we kept on jumping. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. You would've thought we'd be tired already and would just call a tie. But we've been doing this ever since we were five years old. Trained professionals. I looked over at Lumina, her gaze distant. She had to not think of anything, or else she would accidentally not jump at the right time and trip herself.

Not thinking of anything was something I should have done too. The rope caught my foot, sending me tumbling to the ground. Lumina glanced over, stopped, then grinned. She offered a hand to me, her grin wider. I knew what was coming next. As soon as I stood on my feet she held her rope high in the air.

"Yes! I win!" She jumped up and down excitedly. I put my rope back into my bag and looked over at the gloating Lumina.

"Want to race this time?" I asked, making sure my shoes were tied so I wouldn't trip while running.

Lumina stopped cheering, glancing over at me. "The short route?" She asked. Her short brown hair seemed to frame her determined expression as she looked at me.

I nodded, getting ready to run. Our short route for racing each other was very easy; just to the bridge and back to the pond. Our longer route was much more complicated, but after our jump roping tournament, we were too tired to go the longer route. "Ready...set..._go!"_ I yelled, Lumina yelling 'go' at the same time I did. I bolted forward, wind whipping my brown hair back. I hadn't put it in a ponytail like I usually did today. My amythest eyes concentrated on the dirt path ahead of me as I turned a corner. I felt like the wind had picked me up and was making me float. I felt so free...so alive...

I glanced over, seeing Lumina almost next to me. I ran even faster, smirking as I reached the bridge, turned, and bolted back. I always gained more distance away from Lumina when we reached the bridge. As we reached the pond, I turned around and grinned at Lumina.

"I win."

Lumina panted, a little out of breath. "You usually do, when it comes to running."

I nodded, digging into my rucksack again and pulling out two plastic water bottles, tossing one to Lumina.

"Thank you." She nodded, gulping down nearly half the bottle in only ten seconds.

I thought back to when I first met Lumina when we were four years old. She had seemed so quiet and well-mannered. She didn't really seem to act like a kid at all. But as I got to know her, I noticed the kid-like spirit she had hidden within her. I was glad that I had a friend like her. I still am glad, too.

"So... how's everything going with you and Rock?" Lumina asked. I turned to look at her and noticed a small hint of jealousy in her eyes. Then I remembered. I still hadn't told Lumina that I had stopped dating Rock. I shivered as I remembered that day.

It had been the day after Skye had came back to the valley. The day after I had told him that I loved him. I had gone to the beach and was greeted by a cheerful Rock. I just went out and told him that I was breaking up with him. He stared at me, cold and blank for a while before brushing it off like I was joking. I said that I meant it, and he finally realized I wasn't kidding around. His eyes filled with so much anger... his voice was scathing as he muttered, _'You _will_ regret this.'_ I had been a little afraid for a few days, but eventually I shook it off.

"It's over between us." I commented casually.

"Really?" She sounded concerned, but I could see that she was relieved and happy. "Why?"

"Eh, he's not the right person for me."

"Then who is?"

I was almost about to answer, but I clamped my mouth shut. I couldn't tell her that I loved a thief. "Um... I haven't found anyone yet."

"Is that so...?" Lumina looked like she was in deep thought for a moment, then sighed. "What time is it?" She asked.

I looked down at my black watch. "Seven."

Lumina stood up. "I have to go. But we should talk more tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded, watching as she walked away, her short brown hair bobbing around slightly as she walked. Soon she was gone, and I was all alone at the pond. The setting sun cast a shade of purple onto the surface of the pond, beautiful and calming.

But I was alone. Reality stabbed at me like a dagger. I felt like I had been alone forever for a moment.

Suddenly, a piece of paper floated down next to me. Curiously I picked it up, reading it and gasping. Skye.

I glanced up at the darkening sky. In that moment, I could've sworn I saw a shadow of someone glide by over my head. "You're after the blue feather, huh?" I smiled. You can't take it like that. I have to give it to you. Then I frowned. He's stealing it tonight, at midnight. I thought he usually sent notes in the morning, not late afternoon. Maybe he had a hard time deciding whether to steal it or not?

But none of that mattered. All that mattered was that he was coming tonight. And it was the perfect opportunity for me to propose. The one chance I needed had come.

* * *

Hehehe, sort of cliff-hanger-ish. I wonder how this'll turn out...?


	12. Necklace of Luck

_The long awaited chapter is here! Sorry about the slow update. Hehehe. Well anyway, enjoy everyone!_

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_Chapter 11_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I had quickly ran home after receiving the note from Skye, anticipating his arrival. Doubts and hopes swirled in my mind. What if he was still mad and wouldn't accept? What if he didn't come at all? But then again, what if he _did _accept? What if he would be with me forever? My heart was about to jump out of my chest as each minute crawled by. Couldn't time go any faster?

I tapped my foot impatiently as I stared longingly out my window, watching as the sky grew steadily darker. He would come. I had a feeling he would. Every so often I glanced over at the wooden grandfather clock. I was sure I waited a long time in between glances at the clock. But no matter how long I waited, even if it felt like hours since I last looked at the clock, only a minute or two seemed to pass. Just my luck.

I grew tired of looking out the window after a while, so I flipped off the light and walked blindly to my bed, laying down and staring at the dark ceiling. I let time escape at its own pace. It actually seemed to help, because in no time at all, I heard a faint thud outside my house. The sound I had been waiting for. Someone started to rattle the doorknob. Then I remembered; I had forgotten to unlock my door. I was about to get up to open it, but the door opened. In stepped Skye, his slender silhouette outlined in moonlight. I sat up, looking at him curiously. How did he open it?

"Mana?" He called softly, looking over at me. I remained silent. He stuffed a small, shiny object into his pocket, just standing there in the doorway.

"You picked the lock, didn't you?" I laughed slightly. Skye seemed to relax as he heard my voice, smiling his brilliant smile.

"Well, I _am_ a thief, am I not?" He walked into the dark room, not bothering to close the door. "And as a thief, I've come here to steal something very valuable from you." His smile faded into a wicked smirk, his sea green eyes glittered with determination. It was kind of a scary expression. "I think you know what it is I have come here for. This is my most important theft yet. And I will do _anything_ to get the prize. The prize is, of course, your heart." He walked even closer towards me. "I know you'll never give it up willingly, so which would you rather prefer? Should I paralyze you and take it the easy way? Or do you want a chance to fight for it? I have no intention of hitting a lady; I'm a gentleman. But I _will_ hold you down and take the prize, just like the first time we met." Skye's eyes gleamed even in the dull light with regret, but they still held their steady stance of determination. "So, Mana, I leave you with the choice. Which will you choose?"

"Skye, no. I won't let you steal it." If he stole it from me, he would leave without knowing the true meaning of why I had it. I would never see him again, that I was sure of. Apparently, I should have explained when I had the chance.

"Well, it sounds like you want to fight for it. Very well. I cannot change your choice. But I will get the prize I have been seeking for in the end." He took a few threatening steps towards me. I backed up, my back bumping against the bookshelf. Damn bookshelf. Of _course_ you had to make things worse. His sweet breath cascaded onto my face. He reached behind my neck. What was he doing? He pulled something shiny away from my neck, inspecting it in his hand. I gasped. He had taken off my necklace. The silver chain glittered; the teardrop-shaped sapphire gem at the end of it was just as beautiful as the chain. That necklace was the present my father had given my mother on their wedding. My mom gave it to me. I thought it would bring me good luck tonight, so I had wore it. Skye smiled, backing away a few feet.

"Well, I can tell by the look in your eyes this is very important as well." He dangled it tauntingly towards me.

"Give it back," I whispered, my eyes wide.

"I think we have the makings of a deal." Skye backed away a little further.

"Give it back." I demanded, anger rising in my heart.

"Your heart for this necklace. What do you say?" The wicked smirk was pasted back on his face. Something inside me clicked.

"Give it back!" I yelled, lunging for him. We both crashed to the ground painfully. I quickly climbed on him to prevent him from escaping. I reached for the necklace, but he whipped it out of my reach. I struggled in vain to grab it, but he wrapped an arm around me tightly, preventing me from moving towards it. A few minutes passed. Silence fell upon us. We both laid there, memories sinking into our heads again. A small laugh came from Skye. I looked up at him to see him smiling.

"Isn't this familiar?" He murmured quietly. I nodded, smiling a little also. It was a sort-of good memory. Back then I had no worries, no doubts, no heartbreaks. But now...

I frowned as I felt him reach into my rucksack. The exact pocket where the feather was. I tried to roll off of him, but his arm held me tight in place.

"Skye, no!" I gasped, grabbing his hand. He stopped pulling the feather out of the pocket, looking down at me with curious sea-green eyes. "Can I _please_ have a chance to explain?"

He looked away from me. "What is there to explain? It's from _him_, is it not?"

"No, I swear it isn't." He loosened his grip on me and sat up on the floor. I stood up, reaching into the pocket and taking out the feather. The deep blue feather gleamed and glowed in the small amount of moonlight in the room. "I got this... for you."

His eyes widened as I held it out towards him. "You mean..."

I nodded, a smile coming to my face. "Will you marry me, Skye?"

He blinked, stunned and amazed. He was quiet for a while. Panic started to rise in my chest until he spoke. "I didn't know what I'd do if the feather was from or was for someone else. I just..." He smiled, standing up. "I said your heart was the most important thing I could steal, right? So what else could I say but 'yes' to this? I want to be with you forever, Mana." He put the necklace back around my neck, pressing his forehead against mine. "I love you."

"I love you too." I whispered, leaning forwards to kiss him. It was just a small kiss, but it meant so much to us both. It was like a promise. I gently placed the feather in his hand.

"We will talk about plans later, okay?" Skye smiled at me, walking out into the night. He hesitated at the door, looking back at me. "I love you Mana. See you tomorrow." His eyes sparkled with happiness, and with one last dazzling smile, he disappeared into the night.

I touched the necklace, looking up at the ceiling. Did you see, father? Are you happy? The necklace that you gave mom was lucky after all. And it will be lucky for a very long time.

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_Yay, happiness! But the trouble isn't over yet. (Dun dun dun!)_


	13. Fairytale Wishes

_The long awaited chapter is here! So sorry about the long wait for it. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: Don't own Harvest Moon._

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_**Chapter 12**_

_Mana's POV_

I woke with a gleeful expression on my face. Today was the day. The day that would be the happiest day of my life. It was like someone had torn a page from a fairytale, and placed it into my own book of life. A simple and perfect ending to a wonderful story that will continue, even after the last word of the story has been written.

I quickly glanced out the window. It was a bright winter day with the sun shining, and snow still delicately piled up on the ground. I always thought that sun shining on the pure white of snow was beautiful. It sparkled and shined in such a way that made it look so serene, so simple yet so brilliantly dazzling. I loved how it looked this way on my wedding day. It added even more of a dream-come-true touch to my story.

I carefully dressed in the pure white dress I had bought from Mineral Town. It took me quite a while to find it, too. It was very simple, and I was starting to wonder if I would blend in with the snow. Simple didn't mean not pretty, though. I hadn't been able to find a veil of any sort, so I just put my hair up in its regular ponytail, but I tied a fancy white ribbon around it. I stepped into my new high-heels, twirled around, and glanced into my mirror. The girl staring back at me was beautiful. Surging with happiness and confidence, I stepped out the door, walking quickly towards the Goddess Pond. We had both agreed to hold the wedding there in the early morning before anyone awoke and saw us there.

My heart sped up as I saw Skye in the distance through the light fog. The closer I walked towards him, the faster my heart beat. Eventually he looked over at me, his sea-green eyes filled with pure joy, and his smile brimming with excitement. I tried with all of my might to keep my jaw from dropping. I had never seen him in a tuxedo, and boy, did he look handsome. I stopped to stand in front of him, smiling. His eyes lit up as he looked me over.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen… Mana..." He breathed, taking my hand.

"And you are the most handsome man I've ever met." I laughed slightly.

"Well, here we are. Our own private wedding." He sighed. "I guess we'll begin." He reached over and took my other hand also, his eyes staring gently yet seriously into mine. "As a thief, I have my share of secrets and have done many wrongdoings. But I am willing to put it _all_ aside just to be with you for as long as I can. I, Skye, love you and will _always_ be here for you." He smiled at me even more. "Will you do the same?"

On this day we'd be bonded to each other forever. At this moment we will always love each other. And with these words, I would confirm it. "I will. I, Mana, will love you forever and will be with you whenever you need me to. When I got to know you, I didn't judge you just for being a thief. I thought of you as a person, and a friend. Later on I realized it was more than that. Fate, I assume, made it so." He let go of one of my hands and pulled the feather out of his pocket. He brought it up to my hands, and I grabbed it with one hand as well. My other hand still held his.

We leaned forward until out foreheads touched. Together we spoke as one. "This feather is the tie that will bond us forever. With these words, I give you my love, and with this feather I give you my promise." We pulled away from each other slightly, staring into each other's eyes lovingly. "From now on, we are as one." We finished, staring into each other's eyes before slowly leaning into a kiss.

A small noise from behind us a few moments later made me pull away, much to Skye's disappointment. I looked into his eyes for a moment before turning irritably to face whatever made the noise. I gasped as I saw a familiar tan face turn and run the other way in horror. _Rock…_

I looked back at Skye with a worried expression. "He saw us." I murmured.

Skye shrugged. "He'd figure it out sooner or later that you were _mine_." His eyes darkened slightly from the memories he had of Rock. Definitely not pleasant ones.

"I guess you're right." I smiled again, placing another kiss upon Skye's lips.

"We should go before anyone else wakes up." Skye murmured, taking my hand. Together we walked down the snow-covered trail to my… _our_ house. To the rest of our lives together. To many more wonderful memories like this.

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_Aww, such an adorable chapter! Sorry it's so short. But the real trouble has just begun... hehehe..._


	14. The Raven on the Tombstone

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GAH. I haven't updated this in such a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if you people ate me alive. So sorry! But hopefully I'll be updating a lot more often to make up for it. Well, I kind of left off at a semi-cliffhanger in a way. I think. I dunno. Well, enjoy~

Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own Harvest Moon.

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_Chapter 13_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I was running. Running through the morning light that held no soul. This once happy morning soul was lost to me. But why...? My feet didn't stop propelling me forward, even though I wanted to stop and think. But no. I knew I couldn't stop running. Not until the pain went away. Not until I was _far_ away from here. My chest burned, my heart beat sadly against my chest. But I kept on moving. This image in my mind, it scorched all that I had dreamed of, all that had become. What that image was, I couldn't say for sure. All I knew was it would be too painful to remember.

My vision was blurred. The landscape before me was mainly just a mix of lush green, clay brown, and sky blue. Some kind of wet substance slid slowly down my face. Were these..._ tears?_ Not bothering to wipe them away, I chose to keep my vision blurry. Maybe if I let my other senses take over instead of sight, I would find someplace that would make me truly happy. Someplace that would make me forget. I didn't know where I was going. All I knew was I couldn't stay here, with _them..._

All of a sudden the blurred colors I saw before melted into a cream-ish color, with light blue in the distance. I must be at the beach. My feet kept moving like they were possessed by a spirit whose only goal was to get me far away from here. A small brown object came into view to the right of the blue. The object became larger with every step I took, and finally, I was climbing into the object.

Voices started to find their way to my eardrums. People must be wondering what I was doing. Heck, even _I_ didn't know what I was doing. My hands grasped another brown object on the floor of the first. I watched in awe like a child at a magician's show as my hands numbly did something. I felt the ground under me lurch. My arms started moving in a rhythmic pattern, and I watched as the sandy color of the beach started to shrink. Voices of people on the shore called after me, but they seemed extremely distant. Finally, I could be free. Something bumped against the floor of the brown object I was on. Then again. I swayed uncomfortably, feeling sick. What was–?

All of a sudden, my vision was nothing but blue and black. Some kind of feeling filled my mouth, as if someone was shoving something down my throat. I couldn't breathe. I struggled, but the same strange feeling was wrapped all around me as well. I was dying. Desperate to save myself, I tried harder to escape this weird feeling's clutches, but to no avail. A movement caught my eye. Turning around, my eyes connected with beady, soulless, red ones...

"No!" A voice yelled. I didn't know what was happening. A small amount of pressure locked around my wrists, chaining me to the ground. Someone was screaming. Another voice, a calm, smooth voice, kept repeating something that I couldn't quite hear. My ears strained to hear that person, the only calm person in this alien place. The voice repeated the same word again. Whoever it was that had been screaming had stopped.

"Mana," The voice hummed, a slight edge of fear in its tone. My vision slowly started to sharpen. A silver haired angel was staring down at me, looking clearly worried. His sea green eyes portrayed his concern, and his face was paler than usual.

"S-Skye?" I asked. The angel nodded, relief flooding his face. I glanced around. We were in my house. Skye's hands were wrapped firmly around my wrists, pinning me to my bed. Somehow I had a feeling I had been the one screaming.

"Are you alright?" The silveret wondered, letting go of my wrists ever so cautiously. My mind flashed back to the nightmare. What if he started to worry more about me? I decided not to tell him all about it. Something about that dream had seemed... off. Almost like it was foreboding. But then again, maybe it was just my nerves.

"I-I'm fine. Just a dream." I quickly got up off the bed, looking out the window. It was bright outside; I must have overslept. As I walked around getting ready for the day, Skye followed.

"Mana, are you _sure_ you are fine?" He asked, scanning me skeptically. I nonchalantly glanced into a mirror. Long brunette locks were tangled and frizzed, strewn around in every which way. Amethyst irises were surrounded not by a pure white, but a light red. Small, skinny arms were riddled with goose bumps. To top it all off, I had skin as white as the snow outside.

I glanced over at Skye, eyes slightly narrowed, and shrugged. "It's morning," I challenged coolly, determined to not make him worry.

Sea green scanned me up and down as he gazed at me skeptically. I knew he wasn't going to believe me, but I had to pathetically try. Who knew? Maybe he would let me go about my day without asking if I was okay or not.

Inevitably, he shook his head. I knew it was a long stretch thinking that he'd actually believe that. "You are not going to work until you are better."

I spun towards him. "But–"

A pale hand rose up into the air. I clamped my mouth shut. "Mana, I am worried. Please, just stay here for a while so I can be sure my love is okay. Besides, it is winter. You do not have much to do during this season, am I right?"

I opened my mouth to say something, and then closed it again. Opened. Closed. Opened. Closed. I felt like a fish in a pet store. But he did have a point. "Fine." A small grumble escaped my lips. Skye's sea green eyes lit up in triumph. I scowled.

* * *

Up, down. Up, down. I had been bouncing impatiently on my bed for the last ten minutes. This was freaking killing me, not being able to do work. I have to admit, over the years I had started to become a workaholic. Work gave me something to do that was productive, and could keep my mind from thinking about things I'd rather not. But sitting here in the house was like being locked in a jail cell. I stared holes into my little blue alarm clock, and practically cheered whenever the minute hand moved.

Skye had been watching my phenomenal behavior a few feet away. A smile was plastered to his lips and every so often I'd hear a small noise from him that sounded like he was trying to contain his laughter. I started to wonder if he told me to stay here just to see how I would react when I wasn't allowed to work.

The phone to the right of me started to ring, causing me to jump. Since when did people ever call me? Shrugging off the thought, I quickly picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" I sighed into the phone. My ears perked at the sound of someone crying on the other side of the line. "Hello?" I said again, more alert. I listened intently. Nobody was saying anything. As I concentrated more, I could hear even more people crying in the background. The person seemed to realize I had picked up as they sniffed.

"Mana? It's Ruby. Can you please come to my inn?" She murmured gravely. Before I could reply, she hung up.

I lifted the phone away from my ear and stared at it. Something was obviously not right. I jumped at the chance to get out of the house, rushing to the door. "Skye, Ruby called. She said for me to come to the inn. She was crying..." I trailed off, opening the door. A soft hand found its way into mine. Amethyst met jade as I looked up at Skye, his expression calm and serious.

"I am coming with you. Is that okay?" I turned around to face the snow outside and nodded. Together we walked out into the white landscape, our feet leaving prints in the pure white blanket.

Skye didn't like snow that much. I stole a glance at his face and laughed slightly. His expression was twisted in such a weird way at the sight of the white, fluffy snow. He glanced down at me with a questioning look. I smiled in the opposite direction, saying nothing.

"What is it?" His voice had an edge of irritation.

"Your face looks funny."

As we neared the inn, we saw people dressed mainly in black. My stomach churned. Black. The color of death around this town. My pace quickened. Shocked looks were focused on Skye for a moment, followed by a few murmurs of, 'It's the Phantom!' Then I remembered the face that he had been a thief, and that our marriage had been done in secret. Walking into town holding hands with a presumed thief... Nice one, Mana. We pulled open the door to the inn and walked inside. There were more people dressed in black inside. More tears were spilling down the faces of disbelieving and grieving people. The warmth of the room turned to ice as I looked at the front desk. For there, sitting atop the desk, like a raven on a tombstone, was a large black coffin.

* * *

__

Cliffhanger, much? :D

...Don't kill me. I just had to do it. I'll put out the next chapter soon, okay?


	15. Unexplainable

_Back with another chapter! Finally. Sorry about how long it takes. I'm going to try harder with that. ^^ Well, enjoy~_

* * *

_Chapter 14_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

_No._ No, this couldn't be right. There was some mistake. This wasn't real.

All of the pieces clicked in my mind. The coffin in front of me, right inside the inn. The odd feeling in my gut. The people outside all dressed in black. My dream of running, drowning, and those eyes…

Rock was gone. And really, it was all my fault. If I had chosen a better location for the wedding, if I hadn't planned for it to be on that day, in that place, at that time, things probably would be different. Maybe he would be alive. Just maybe.

I wouldn't put blame on myself for falling in love with Skye or for marrying him. Those were things I was proud of, and even if they were the reason why there was a black coffin in front of me now, I would never want things to be any different. I wouldn't give up any of that, even for a dear friend. Maybe that did sound selfish, but when it came right down to it, maybe Rock hadn't been the greatest friend to me. After all, I was pretty sure he wouldn't give up and settle for being just a friend. He always wanted more. If he were really my friend, then he would have been happy, seeing I was happy too.

How could I be thinking such things, right in front of his casket? My amethyst eyes closed as I thought of apologies, hoping that karma would forgive me for thinking such rude things about the deceased.

I walked over to the casket and placed my hand on the casket. Why was it closed already? I glanced over to Skye, the confusion showing in my eyes.

"Why is it closed already? Are we late?" My voice sounded shaky, distracted even.

"No. I have been listening in on conversations here and there. Everyone says that his body was never found." Skye glanced down at the coffin, sadness in his sea green eyes. Despite the fact that Rock had hurt me, tried to take me away from Skye, and was ultimately Skye's rival, Skye still didn't seem to like knowing he was dead.

"Never found? What happened? How do they know he's…?" My throat clenched, preventing me to say anything more. No matter how much I needed to accept the fact he was gone, I couldn't say that he was the 'd' word. It was hard enough saying he was gone.

"He apparently took the boat that was docked on the beach out to sea. He didn't get very far before it suddenly capsized and he went underwater and never resurfaced." Skye paused, a guarded expression dimming his face. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, as if he was debating to speak or not.

"What?" I asked, an image forming, yet not making sense.

"Mana…" Skye gazed into my eyes before looking to the floor. "Love, when they went to search for him," His eyes were once again staring into mine, as if trying to see how I would react before continuing, "they found blood and torn flesh in the sea."

Everything hit me like I had just ran into a door. It was so point-blank, obviously there. The dream. The blues, the greens, the voices, the eyes. Were these the last moments that Rock experienced? Was his vision more clear, or was it the same fuzziness that I had seen?

I gripped the counter to steady my wobbly legs. Skye's arms wrapped protectively around me. "Mana? Are you okay?" His concerned voice whispered in my ear. My voice wouldn't work, so I just nodded, taking a deep breath before standing up straight.

"It's just…what do you think could've possibly attacked him?" The red eyes flashed before my vision, making me jump slightly.

"If he was even attacked." Skye let go of my waist, his hands finding my hands instead.

"Huh?" How could he not have been? He went out into the sea, he died out there, his body was never found, and there was blood and flesh out there. It seemed pretty obvious that something out there did kill him.

"Well, there _are_ fish out there. Something could have been in the sea and it had just killed a smaller fish. That would explain the blood. Besides," His eyes locked onto mine. "How do you know if he is dead, my love? He could have swum away after the boat sank."

"He never resurfaced." I pointed out. "Why are you trying to sound so hopeful, anyway? I thought you hated him." Skye's eyes clouded.

"Because I know he means a lot to you, and I do not want to see your tears." His pale hand swept across my cheek lightly, coming away with water on his fingers. It was then that I realized that I had been crying.

I looked away. "It's fine. I know that he's gone, don't worry about it." It took a bit of force to paste a smile onto my face and to look Skye in the eye again. "Really. I'll be okay." Skye didn't look convinced, but he seemed to let the matter go.

* * *

After the funeral, my body mechanically worked throughout the rest of the day. My mind, however, was far away. I wasn't even really thinking of anything. I was just gone. Neither thinking or feeling. My body might feel tired after working, but not my mind. It was just blank. Not a thought seemed to pass through my head.

As soon as all of my chores were finished, I went back home and flopped down onto the bed, my head buried into the white pillow. Footsteps echoed through the room. The bed dipped beside my feet as someone sat down.

"Mana?" Skye's soft voice floated to me. I remained silent. "Have you eaten yet?"

I shook my head no, intending that to have a double meaning. One meaning was that no, I haven't really eaten yet. The second was no, I'm not going to eat anything. Skye, however, didn't see the second meaning.

"Come on, love, I made dinner for you." His arms wrapped around mine.

"No, I'm not hungry." I mumbled into the pillow, tugging my arms away from his.

"Please, Mana, you need to eat something." The pleading of his voice almost was enough to make me get up and actually eat. _Almost._

"I'll eat later, I just want to rest right now."

"Mana." The softness in his voice suddenly turned sharp. Sighing, I picked my head up off the pillow and turned to face him.

"Please?" I asked, putting on my puppy-dog face. He seemed to think for a moment, and finally he sighed. I knew that my cute face had worked. It always seemed to be a weakness of his.

"Very well. You do look pretty tired. But whenever you wake up again I expect you to eat something. Okay?" Skye gave me a quick kiss on my forehead, getting up off of the bed.

I nod, getting up for just a moment to pull back the covers, then diving under the warmth. I snuggled into the blanket as Skye smoothed a few stray hairs out of my face. I watched as he walked away, and soon after I closed my eyes.

* * *

A scream pounded against my eardrums. I couldn't see. However, I could feel something strange. There was something that seemed to be completely covering me, slowly slinking up my feet, past my legs, up my torso, and now was sliding up my neck. I didn't know what it was. Even if I tried to move, I couldn't do a thing. The weird feeling thing covered my blind eyes. Another scream, more distant than the last, came to my ears.

My eyes opened to meet a dark room. Slowly, I realized I was back in my house. I glanced over to see Skye curled up next to me. I wanted to stay and fall back asleep, but my body made me crawl out of bed and stand up. Confused, I wanted to look back over at Skye, but my head wouldn't allow it. My feet moved mechanically towards the door, my hand grasping the doorknob to open the door.

I tried speaking something, but the words never passed my lips. My feet carried me across the ground, heading someplace. I watched my surroundings as I passed by, wanting to run, wanting to say something, but nothing would respond. My actions were not my own.

My toes dug into the cold snow as I walked. I shivered as the frosty ice bit at the bottom of them. Even if I wanted to go back and put on some shoes, my body wouldn't listen. It was too preoccupied taking orders from a mind that was not mine.

As I started to walk across the beach, my heart started to quicken its pace. I was starting to panic as I neared the wide, blue ocean. My feet weren't stopping. Even as water splashed above my ankles as I walked into the water, my body kept going. Was I trying to drown myself? A few more feet out into the ocean and I would be underwater.

"Mana?" A shocked voice came from behind me. My body didn't pay any attention to the person, it just kept walking out into the water. I was now waist-deep in the cold water.

A pair of arms wrapped around me, pulling me back out of the water. My body protested, elbowing the person in the stomach. A small grunt of pain came, but the person didn't let go.

I felt the snow on my feet again as the person dragged me back, finally laying me down onto the cold, frozen ground. "Mana?" The voice asked again. I looked up. Skye.

Thankfully, my body didn't seem to want to move. Maybe I had control over my body again? "Skye?" I asked, feeling a wave of relief when I could speak. "How did you know where I was?"

"I woke up when you got out of bed. I am a light sleeper." Skye shrugged, concern flooding his eyes. "Mana, what were you doing?"

"I…" I started, and then closed my mouth. What could I say? I had no clue what I had been doing, so there wasn't any way I could respond to his question. "Well, honestly, I have no clue."

"Were you sleepwalking?"

"I guess." Yeah. Sleepwalking with fully conscious thoughts.

"Let's go back home, love." Skye took my hand and hoisted me back to my feet. We were about to start walking until Skye looked down at my bare feet in the snow. Frowning, he scooped me up in his arms, carrying me back to our house. Despite feeling tired, I didn't fall back asleep. I couldn't, knowing I might lose control of my body again. Maybe next time it happened, Skye wouldn't make it in time.

* * *

_Suspicious. I wonder why Mana couldn't control her body. Maybe the next chapter will explain. Maybe. Maybe not. _


	16. Lingering Bond

_Short chapter. :(_

_-gasp- What's this? Two chapters in one day? That's amazing. Very surprising for me to do that. Well, anyway, I'm thinking of possibly re-typing the beginning of this story so it'll be more detailed. What do you people think?_

_Now for an advertisement. I'm going to be posting a Wolf's Rain fic on August 8th whether I feel like posting it or not. If you want to, feel free to read it on the 8th._

_And now for the story. Enjoy~_

* * *

_Chapter 15_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

I watched as the room slowly brightened, due to the sun rising. I hadn't been able to sleep all night. I was too afraid of the consequences sleeping might have. What else would my body try to do if I lost control of it again?

I tried my best to not move the bed too much as I got up. Quietly I tiptoed towards the door, though not before accidentally running into a chair. I let out a loud curse while falling when the chair crashed to the floor. Another curse came as I soon followed the chair onto the floor, my flailing feet propped up on the fallen chair. Why is it that whenever you try to sneak around you always run into something?

As predicted, Skye shot upright in bed. His face was half-hidden behind part of the chair, but I could tell it was utterly blank. "Mana?" He asked, his voice devoid of any emotion. "What are you doing?"

"…Trying to be a ninja. I failed." I mutter, my face heating up with embarrassment. I crawl away from the chair before standing up, brushing imaginary dirt from my outfit.

Skye's lips curved into a smirk. Giving him a small pout, I turn away. "S-Sorry." I stammer, heading for the door. Before another word was said, I walked outside, the bitter, cold wind biting at my face.

As much as I hated to admit it, I really didn't like winter. Sure, I barely had anything to do, so I could be as lazy as I wanted. That was the problem. There wasn't anything to do. It wasn't like I had any hobbies nowadays. The only thing I had was work. Work today. Work next week. Work next year. It was the only thing that could really entertain me anymore. It was strange, how just a few years ago I had other hobbies and absolutely hated work.

Some part of me wanted to go back to that simple time. I had been Mana: a normal teenage girl. No worries, no work, no pain. I had nothing to regret, nothing to fear. But now…

Shaking my head, I started walking towards my animal barn. Everything happens for a reason. If I stayed a simple girl, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Skye. I would have fallen for Rock, a nice, simple guy. Since I didn't, though, I guess I wasn't as simple as I thought.

I took out the bundles of hay in my rucksack, tossing them into the feeding areas in the barn. I was about to throw the last one when a throbbing pain gripped my head. The bundle of hay dropped from my hand, and I fell to the floor, clutching my head. Suddenly, I felt very sleepy. Everything went black.

* * *

I opened my eyes again, a dimly lit room greeting my vision. The walls of the room were just a plain white, and the tiles of the floor were just a simple black. There was a clear desk in front of me. A white candle was resting on top of it, providing the only light in the room.

"Good to see you came." A chill ran down my spine. That voice. It couldn't be. I turned to face his tan face and warm brown eyes, which looked black in the dim light.

"Rock?" His name stung my throat. "H-How-"

"Did you really think that being murdered at sea would let me 'rest in peace', as they all say?" A malicious smile spread across his face. "You'll find out what killed me soon enough. I'm sure it'll love to meet you."

"What?" I asked, not quite understanding.

He let out a soft sigh, looking me over doubtfully. "Mana, Mana, Mana. Do I have to spell everything out for you?" The smile was again pasted on his face. "I'm the one who made you nearly go into the ocean yesterday."

My breath caught in my throat. "Why?"

"Well, since my untimely death occurred, there wouldn't be anything getting in between you and your lover. That is, until I came back as a ghost." He paused, taking in my horrified expression. "Did you really think I'd let him win so easily? It may sound cliché, but if I can't have you, nobody can."

"So you're going to kill me?"

"Oh, heavens no. Not me. My little friend in the sea, however, would be more than happy to."

"What is out there?" I asked, panic rising in my chest.

"You'll find out. Besides, you already seem to have met it before." When I didn't respond, he sighed again. "You've seen its eyes, anyway."

"Eyes?" The image of the shining red eyes flickered in my mind. "Wait, how did you-"

"I'm the one who showed you my last moments. Tragic, isn't it?" He touched the back of his hand to his forehead, intentionally being overdramatic. "Oh well, it's not like you'd ever give up that thief for me anyway. That's just too bad. If you had fallen for me instead, I would be alive and you would get to live. But sadly, you chose him. And now you get to meet my undersea friend." He laughed. Everything started to fade away, including his laugh. It all faded into nothing.

* * *

My eyes opened again, and I heaved a sigh of relief when I realized I was in my animal barn again. One of my brown cows was hunched over me, nudging my stomach.

"Aw, you care about me, huh?" I go from lying on my side to sitting upright to look up at my cow. She doesn't seem to notice that I'm okay, as she tries to peer over my head.

"Huh?" I scramble out of her way so I don't get stepped on, glancing back to see her eating something. It was the bundle of hay I dropped. So much for caring about me.

I decided to go back home and tell Skye everything that had happened. When I came back, he was still sleeping, his pale face reflecting the peacefulness of his slumber. _Should I wake him? _Despite how cute he looked when he slept, I still clambered onto the bed next to him, taking his shoulder and shaking it lightly.

"Skye." I whispered. No response. "Skye." I said softly. Nothing. "Skye." Irritated now, I said his name in a normal voice. Still he didn't budge. Sighing, I knew what I had to do. I got up from my sitting position and stood on the bed.

"Skye, it's an earthquake!" I yelled, jumping up and down, making the bed bounce violently. His eyes flew open and his hand involuntarily reached out, catching my ankle and sending me crashing on top of him.

"Mana?" He mumbled, glancing sleepily down at me.

I got off of him and sat next to him, a grin on my face. "Light sleeper my ass." I shook my head and continued before he could comment. "Anyway, there's something I need to tell you."

* * *

_How is she going to get out of this? Even I'm not quite sure yet. _


	17. Gone With the Water

__

Oh geez, it's been forever since I last continued this story. I'm amazed you people haven't eaten me, really. ^^' Anyway, I might update more often. Plus I might re-do the beginning so it's more detailed. Keep your hopes up! Enjoy~

And obviously, I don't own Harvest Moon. If I did, well, drama like this would happen.

* * *

_Chapter 16_

_Jill/Mana's POV_

"Uh... Skye, you know this won't protect me...right?" I mumbled, my face heating up with embarrassment. I've been sitting next to Skye for about twenty minutes now. After I had told him about the vision I had with Rock in it, he went into defence mode. So that's how I got locked into my own house, with all of my windows covered, and Skye holding me in a bear hug.

"...I know that." Something about his tone of voice said otherwise. Really? Like keeping me in my house would really stop a spirit. Skye really wasn't the shiniest jewel to steal. And he had seemed like such a genius thief before. My mind went to all of the obvious notes he had left, telling his victims that he'd steal from them. Then again, maybe he hadn't been much of a genius even then.

"Well, I can't stay in here forever. I have work to do." My workaholic ways were getting to me yet again, making me hyper and needing to go outside and work. When did I ever become like this?

"Are you sure you'll be safe?" Skye asked, looking down at me suspiciously.

"I'll be fine." I confirmed, standing up as his grip on me loosened.

"Okay. But I want you back here before it gets dark."

I let out a sigh, my eyes rolling slightly. "Yes, _mother_." I smiled mischeviously before walking towards the door.

"I am_ not _acting like a mother." Skye grumbled. For a moment, I thought I could go outside without any more conversation. "Wait, don't forget your jacket. I do not want you getting sick."

I tried to suppress my laughter. "Okay." I grabbed the small blue jacket that I left next to the door. "Mother." I giggled before dashing out the door.

"Hey, that coat is not thick enough! If you get sick, I'll have to make you take medicine." Skye called after me. My feet froze to the ground. Bleh. _Medicine._ It never tasted good. Though it made me feel better, honestly, at the time, it never seems worth choking down. Maybe I _should_ get a thicker jacket.

Then again, Skye probably wouldn't be able to force medicine down my throat. I smirked evilly, skipping away from the house. He'd have a lot of trouble giving someone like me medicine. Haha, the poor guy doesn't know what he'd be getting himself into.

My mind came back to what I was doing. It was winter; besides tending to my animals, I didn't have anything else to do. Bored already, I walked through the fields, picking up whatever grass I could find. Those things really _did_ come in handy with cooking, despite their gross appearance.

As I neared Goddess Pond, I had gotten extremely bored with finding grass. I decided to sit down near the edge of the water, enjoying how the pond looked with snow all around it. The memories I had spent at this place leaked into my mind, and I couldn't help but smile. This place had always been my favorite, even when I was a small child. It became even more special to me when Skye came into my life. It was strange how a simple place could be such a big part of one's life.

"And this place might as well be a big part of one's _death." _A voice spoke. My bones chilled more than the snow could ever make them freeze. Before I knew what had happened, I lunged forward into the pond, freezing water engulfing my body, my eyesight filling with blue.

_'Rock, if you really did care about me, you'd let me live happily.'_ I thought, trying to move but my body refused even the smallest movement.

"Mana, I can't do that. You see, no matter what, you're going to die in water as I did, by my friend's actions or not. Then, you'll get to be with me forever. And I hear from my little friend that dear old daddy wants to see you as well."

_'What? My father? How?'_

"Wouldn't that be wonderful? You'd get to spend eternity with _two_ of the people you love. And a new pet of the sea, of course. So why don't you just give this life up? Your daddy has a lot he wants to say."

_'No. Let me go. I have to live.'_ I once again tried to move, but it was no good. I wouldn't budge. All I knew was, I was starting to feel light-headed, which meant I needed to get out of the water now.

"Mana, don't you want to see your wonderful daddy? It's been so long, you know. He wants to see his little girl again. What kind of daughter are you? You must be a pretty terrible one if you don't want to see your dearest daddy. Especially when he wants to see you so much, too."

_'I want to see him. But I know he'd rather know I'm living happily. That's all he'd ever...'_ My thoughts trailed off as my consciousness left me.

* * *

"Oh Mana," A voice called me. That wretched voice I knew all too well. I opened my eyes to see nothing but darkness. "Welcome to my realm. Congratuations. _You're dead."_

I stared at the nothingness in front of me, not quite comprehending what he was talking about. "W-What?"

He appeared before me, his face directly in front of me. His hot breath hit my face with each word. "You. Are. Dead. _Yay."_ He smirked before disappearing again.

"You're kidding me. This isn't death. I didn't die." I bit my lip, annoyed at his words, yet I wasn't as confident as I sounded.

"Oh really? Then why are you here? If you could, then why aren't you back with your dear husband? If you want to leave, then try. But you can't, because you aren't alive."

I tried to find an exit. I tried willing myself back to life; nothing was working. Maybe I really was dead. I mean, nobody knew I had fallen inside the pond. Nobody had been around, and Skye thinks I'm out working. Nobody could have saved me. Maybe I really was gone...

I fell to my knees, tears crashing to the ground. _I'm gone... I'm gone..._ _Blackness. Emptiness. Void of anything. Everything. Nothing remained. Nothing mattered. How could it, I mean, I don't exist. Maybe I never did in the first place._

Rock appeared again, smiling at me. "Well, it seems you've realized the truth."

"No!" I yelled, standing up. "You're lying. I know it."

"Mana, let it go. You aren't going back." Rock looked up for a moment, scowling. His gaze returned to me, a slight hint of worry hidden in his eyes. _What was that for?_

Suddenly, I heard a faint voice say my name. _Who was...?_ I glanced around. It hadn't been Rock's voice, yet it was still familiar. It repeated itself, more urgent this time. Was it my father? No, it didn't sound like it. Who was this voice? It spoke again, this time words that I didn't understand. Oh no, was it that creature of the sea? Then the voice became clear. Skye. He was talking to me.

I turned to Rock, confidence in my eyes. "You are lying."

Rock chuckled. "No my dear, you are merely hearing him mourn over you. Apparently he found you." A small circle appeared in front of me. It was white for a moment, before a vision of Skye holding my still body appeared. I automatically reached out to him, my fingers only meeting the cold, smooth face of the strange glass that produced the image. The image faded.

"See? I told you that you were dead. Why is it you people never believe me?" Rock sighed. I didn't turn around. My eyes stayed transfixed on something ahead of me. It was faint, but there was a small, white light a few feet in front of me. I walked towards it, curious. "Mana?" Rock wondered behind me. I refused to look away from the light as I approached it. My hand instinctively reached out, and as soon as I touched the light, I blacked out.

* * *

My vision was blurred, and I wasn't sure of where I was. A voice kept speaking in some foreign language, and everything around me was mostly a blurry white. I reached up, seeing a blurry peach-colored blob that I assumed was my hand. It touched something soft, and I jerked back in surprise.

"Mana?" Someone called.

"W-What? Who are you? Don't eat me. Don't talk to me. How do you know my name? Am I dead? I don't wanna die!" I screeched, looking for a way to escape, but all I saw was white.

"Mana!" The voice said harshly. I looked around, trying to see who it was. Wait, I know that voice.

My vision was becoming a bit clearer, and I could make out a pale face of someone. My hand reached up and grabbed their cheek. "You're my future child. How do you sound so grown? It's so nice to know you'd visit your would-be mom. But I'm already dead, so, sorry you won't get a chance at life."

"What are you talking about, love?" The voice spoke again.

_"Love?" _I muttered strangely. Something told me this wasn't my future child. I closed my eyes for a moment, then when I opened them, my vision was clear. Skye was holding me in his arms, a strange expression on his face. A blanket was wrapped around me. "Wha-? Oh, hey Skye. Er... you aren't my future child..." I trailed off, blushing. Stupidest statement of the year.

"Um... of course I'm not." Skye murmured slowly. I looked up at him with a face that read, 'please don't send me to a nut house' as he picked me up and started carrying me away from the pond. "Mana, are you okay?"

"Of course. Even though I nearly drowned, still, I'm fine..." Stupidest statement nominee.

"It was _him_ again, wasn't it?" I nodded, making Skye's eyes darken. "What should we do? It doesn't seem like he'll give up until he... _kills you."_ There was a lot of strain on the last part of his sentence, making me feel guilty for having him almost watch me die.

I thought for a moment. How would we get rid of a spirit, anyway? We'd need some kind of magic or something...

I almost choked on my breath. "Mana?" Skye asked, worried.

"Th...Wit...Pri...Ess..." I said between coughs.

"What?" Skye wondered.

"The Witch Princess." I breathed. "If there's anyone who knows how to get rid of a spirit, it's her."

* * *

_Hmm, there might be a way out of this. Hahaha, it won't be that simple. Not even close. There's a few problems with that idea... :3 What they are, you'll just have to find out in the next chapter. (Dang, these chapters are short.)_


End file.
